Structural Features of Aluminum Nitride Films Obtained by Magnetron Sputtering

The morphology and structure of aluminum nitride (AlN) films were studied. The films were formed using the magnetron sputtering method in a nitrogen atmosphere and argon as the plasma-forming working gas (N2, Ar). The texture dependencies of the films on the following technological conditions were determined: gas ratio in the working mixture, pressure, and power. The influence of the technological parameters of thin film formation on the degree of orientation along the (002) plane, crystallite size, and surface roughness of the films was investigated. It was established that, at an Ar/N2 gas flow ratio of 4/5 sccm, the AlN phase with predominant (002) orientation and increasing crystallite size occurs with increasing pressure, while at an Ar/N2 gas flow ratio of 4/10 sccm, the opposite dependency is observed. The surface roughness of the thin films increases with increasing pressure and power.